Bell-ringing apparatus.



J. M.. DUPONT, I BELL RINGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION mn ocr. a; 1911.

1,283,481. Patented Nov. 5,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I JOSEPH M. DUPONT, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR PIERRE LYNBURNER, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

BELL-RINGIN'G APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

Application filed October 8, 1917. Serial No. 195,301.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPI-I M. Duroiv'r, a subject of the King of Great Britain, reslding at Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bell-Ringing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically ringing bells wherein church bells may be rung at the desired time for striking the hour of the day, ringing the chimes or further announcements.

An object of the present invention is to provide a strong, durable and efficient device of this character which will be comparatively inexpensive in the cost of manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view which will hereinafter appear as the description continues, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and formation of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and par ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been showna simple and preferred'form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details herein exhibited,

but the right is hereby reserved to any alterations or modifications to changes, which recourse may be had that come within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the same;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the clutch;

Fig. 41 is an enlarged detail view of the clutch operating mechanism; and,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the harnmers.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views.

The numeral 1 indicates a base or other suitable support having a plurality of sup ports 2 arranged thereupon and each of these supports carrying a bell 3. These bells may be of various sizes to effect different sounds. Also secured upon the base 1 in front of the supports 2, are the vertical extending standards 4 and pivotally connected as at 5 to an arm 6 carried by each of the standards is a lever 7. The outer ends of each of these levers have connected thereto a leaf spring 8 carrying a hammer 9, which hammer is adapted to strike the bells. Slidably mounted within the bearings 10 carried by the standards 1 are the rack bars 11. The upper ends of these rack bars are pivotally connected to the levers 7 and the lower ends thereof carry the weights 13. Mounted upon the base 1 are the bearings 14 and j ournaled within these bearings is a driven shaft 15 having keyed with one end thereof a gear 16 which is in mesh with a worm 17, and the latter being carried by the armature shaft 18 of the electric motor 19. Slidably mounted upon this shaft 15 are the hubs 20 of the segmental gears 21. are the collars 22 each carrying a pin 23 which extends through an opening formed within the hubs 20. From this construction it is obvious that upon rotation of the shaft 15 the segmental gears 21 will also be rotated, and if the segmental gears are brought in contact with the rack bars 11 they will cause the rack bars to move, thereby operating the hammers 9. For sliding the segmental gears so that they may be brought into and out of mesh with the racks 11, I provide a gear shifting mechanism for each of the segmental gears, which comprises a lever 24 pivotally mounted upon the supporting brackets 25 carried by the base 1. One end of these levers 24 is provided with forks which are adapted to rest within the grooves of the collars 22, whereas the opposite ends of these levers have connected thereto the cables 26 and 27 respectively, which extend down through openings formed within the base 1 and these cables pass over the drums 28 mounted within a suitable housing Keyed to the shaft 15' the handles 30, whereby they may be rotated drums for locking the same against rotation' Also arranged within the housing 29 is a switch 32, whereby the circuit which includes the electric motor 19 may be opened and closed when desired.

When it is desired to ring the bells the switch 32 is closed whereby the motor will be set in operation and the shaft 15 will rotate through the gearing formerly described. Upon rotating the drums 28 by the operator the segmental gears will be brought into mesh-with the rack bars 11 and these gears may be retained in mesh with the rack bars bymeans 01" locking the drums 28 through the pawl 30. WVhen the shaft 15 rotates in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the segmental gears 21 will cause the rack bars 11 to rise, and as the segmental gears release the rack bars, the weights 13 will cause the rack bars to descend but the descending movement of the rack bars is limited by means of the coil springs 33. By the sudden stop of the 'ack bars tl e hammer will be caused to strike the bell. and be immediately withdrawn "from the bell giving a clear sound, due to the fact that the hammer does not remain in contact with the bell after striking the same. This instantaneous motion given to the hammer is transmitted through the leaf springs 8 connected to the outer ends of thelevers 7.

hen it is desired to have this apparatus strike the hours of the day, only one of the segmental gears 21 need to be brought in contact with the racks '11 and by the continual rotation of the shaft 15, a single bell will be sounded at intervals and the number of gongs desired may be regulated by a suitable timing device arranged in the electric circuit 34. in which the motor 19 is included. In causing the bells to sound in succession the segmental gears may extend at various a11- gles as shown in Fig. 1, or they may be so adjusted or brought into engagement with the racks 11 for causing the hammers to strike wherein the chimes will be sounded from the bells.

It will also be noted that in Fig. 1 of the mechanisms for actuating the hammers therefor, but, of course, it is to be understood that any number of bells may be employed as isdesired.

Having thus fully described'my invention,

shatt, segmental gears carried by said driven shaft, rack bars connected to said levers and said segmental gears adapted to mesh with said rack bars substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A bell ringing apparatus comprising a support, a plurality of bells arranged upon said support, a hammer for each of said bells, levers .pivotally mounted upon said support and carrying said hammers, rack bars connected to each of said levers, a driven shaft, segmental gears slidably mounted upon said shaft and adapted to mesh with said rack bars, and means for moving said segmental gears whereby they may be drawn into and out of engagement with said rack bars.

3. A bell ringing apparatus of the character described comprising a support, a plurality of bells arranged upon said support, standards arranged upon said support, leverspivotallv connected to said standards, leaf springs carried by one end of said levers, a hammer carried by each of said leaf spring: and adapted to contact with said bells, rackbars slidably mounted upon said standards, the upper end of said'rackbars being connected to said levers, a weight carried by the lower end of said aclt bars, coil springs interposed between said standards and said levers, a driven shaft,.segmental gears slidably mountedupon said driven shaft and adapted to. mesh with said rack bars, and independent means for sliding said gears upon said driyen shaftsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 1

JosnPI-I M. DUPONT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

